Let me be blunt: I’m tired of defending print. Many of you know that I come from a digital background, so I’m guilty of poo-pooing print early in my career. I’ve seen the error of my ways; I no longer view print and digital as competing forces. They are complementary assets that together form a cohesive integrated marketing whole.
I still see a lot of disgruntled printers bemoaning the rise of online channels, which I believe puts them at stage 4 on the grief spectrum. But the depressed inkheads simply can’t compete with the sheer number of digital know-it-alls who dismiss print without even running a single campaign. It’s tough to deal with this kind of ignorance, yet I refuse to ignore the naysayers. Instead, I think I’ve found a way to reach them: talk to them in their own language. So from now on, when I talk to these folks about print, I plan to use internet analogies they can relate to.
Let’s test this method with a print staple, direct mail.
E-marketers: direct mail is just a form of offline retargeting. Get it?
What is Retargeting?
Let’s backtrack a bit for the printers among us. I realize you might be wondering what the heck is retargeting right about now. Allow me to explain.
Have you ever visited a website and left without buying anything only to see the same items pop up in banner ads that seem to follow your every click? That’s called retargeting, and it’s probably the most effective (and annoying) form of internet advertising. I won’t go into the specifics of how it works; for more information, check out this detailed explanation from AdRoll.
Remarketing gets a bad rep, much like so-called junk mail. Yet marketers continue to employ the tactic because retargeting works. And this form of borderline cyber stalking generates conversions through the same principal as many successful direct mail ventures i.e. double qualifying your traffic.
We all know that print communications receive better response rates when they’re sent to people who’ve opted in and/or already bought something from you before. That’s why catalogs are an excellent way to increase your website traffic and boost online sales. Most of the time, these mailers are sent to loyal customers and others who’ve at least expressed an interest in your business. When they see something in the mail from your brand, it feels familiar, and reminds them why they worked with you in the first place.
Their memories and your design entice consumers to read the message you send, which often leads them straight to the nearest computer. You can call this phenomenon whatever you like, but I believe retargeting would be the most accurate term.
3 Advantages of Offline Remarketing
I know I started off by saying that there shouldn’t be any competition among marketers. I stand by that statement, although I’m taking the liberty to point out a couple of ways direct mail improves on the online remarketing model:
- More Personalization – While there’s a degree of personalization going on with the banner ads (they usually include pictures of the last product page you visited) that’s not in the same league as variable data printing.
- Less Intrusive- I live and breathe online marketing, and I find the whole cookie thing unnerving. I don’t blame anyone for using display ads or trying to bring me back after I bounced out of their shopping cart. That said, I find all forms of print much friendlier. There’s nothing creepy about being able to simply throw away something I don’t want as opposed to being bombarded with ads every time I go online.
- Long Term- Retargeting cookies (thankfully) expire after a certain amount of time. A catalog, on the other hand, may stay on my coffee table for years. Enough said.
If you’re a digital marketer, and you’re ready to take a walk on the CMYK side, feel free to check out our mailing services. And be sure to tell all your friends that for #PrintWins for retargeting!